Skinny Love Carrot Cake

I’m blessed to have my 87-year-old Grandma Charlotte as a guest in our home for the next week. Every time she visits, or I travel back to see her in Michigan, I always pick up some baking tips (and a couple of extra pounds) because she is such a master baker. Since Easter is almost here and one of our family traditions is baking a to-die-for carrot cake, I wanted to share a healthier version we made together. This cake isn’t just a little bit better on your waistline. This is an overhaul. It contains around 75% less sugar and 50% less fat than our classic carrot cake. Enjoy this treat any time of day—dare I suggest even a sliver with your morning coffee.

Skinny Love Carrot Cake

2016-03-08 17:27:29

A healthier, "skinny love" version of our family's carrot cake recipe with around 75% less sugar and 50% less fat.

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Prep Time

15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Ingredients

1. CAKE
2. 1 cup organic cake flour
3. 1 1/4 cup almond flour
4. 1 cup Stevia for baking or Truvia baking blend
5. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
6. 1 tsp baking soda
7. 1 tsp salt
8. 2 eggs with 2 additional egg whites
9. 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
10. 1/2 cup organic, non-GMO canola oil
11. 1/2 cup unsweetened cashew milk
12. 1 tsp real vanilla
13. 3 cups finely shredded carrots
14. 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
15. 1/4 cup chopped raisins
16. FROSTING
17. 1/2 cup stevia
18. 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese (for a dairy-free and delicious alternative, forgo the stevia and replace the cream cheese with SoDelicious coconut whipped topping. Heaven).
19. Unsweetened coconut flakes for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray two, 8 in cake rounds.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking stevia, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
3. In a second bowl, beat eggs and egg whites, then mix in canola oil, cashew milk, vanilla and carrots.
4. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture and combine.
5. Cut raisins in half (so the sweet taste goes farther in the cake) and pulverize chopped walnuts by putting in a chopper or going old-school and smashing them in a plastic baggie. Fold raisins and walnuts into mixture.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
7. Grind the stevia for baking in a blender, food processor or even coffee grinder for 10 seconds to get it fine enough for frosting.
8. Add to cream cheese and whip with a mixer until fluffy.
9. Spread on cake layers and top with a bit of chopped walnuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Notes

1. Words to the wise: Since we are using almond flour in place of some of the all-purpose flour, this cake will be more dense than a traditional carrot cake.

By Chelsea Charles

Count Me Healthy http://countmehealthy.com/

My mom Michelle, Grandma Charlotte and myself.

So what has been substituted to make this cake healthy yet moist and non-diety tasting?

To reduce sugar:

• The 2 cups of sugar for the cake and 2 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting have been replaced with stevia for baking.
• The amount of raisins have been reduced from 3/4 cup to 1/4 cup. Just chop them up so a little goes further.

To reduce fat and calories

• The entire stick of butter has been removed from the frosting.
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil has been reduced to 1/2 cup organic canola oil.
• The buttermilk in the classic recipe has been replaced with unsweetened cashew milk.
• Full fat cream cheese has been replaced with low fat cream cheese or neufchâtel cheese.
• Walnuts have been reduced from 1 cup to 1/4 cup (just pulverize to make them go further in the cake).
• Two of the four eggs have been substituted with egg whites.